U.S. patent number 5,400,526 [Application Number 08/120,904] was granted by the patent office on 1995-03-28 for footwear sole with bulbous protrusions and pneumatic ventilation.
Invention is credited to Raymond V. Sessa.
United States Patent |
5,400,526 |
Sessa |
March 28, 1995 |
Footwear sole with bulbous protrusions and pneumatic
ventilation
Abstract
A sole for an article of footwear includes a heel area, an arch
area, and a ball area, each defined on the top surface and
corresponding to the respective areas of the foot. Each of the
areas has a plurality of bulbous protrusions extending upwardly to
contact the respective areas of the foot. A toe area is also
defined on the top surface including a plurality of cavities in
anatomical relation to the toes of the foot. The sole also has an
air passage disposed between the top surface of the sole and the
bottom surface of the sole. A plurality of upwardly extending
sections connect the air passage to the top surface of the sole.
The upwardly extending sections are disposed about the top of the
sole between the bulbous protrusions and communicate ambient air
surrounding the sole with ambient air above the top surface of the
sole through repeated compression and expansion of the air passage.
A liquid barrier is also inserted within the front and rear
sections of the air tunnel for prohibiting contamination by dirt or
liquid. The sole is formed from an abrasion resistant outer sole
with a recess in the top surface, with an insert of a softer
material fitting in the recess and forming the air tunnels
therebetween. An insole fits on the outer sole and insert, the
bulbous protrusion being on the upper surface of the insole.
Inventors: |
Sessa; Raymond V. (Grand
Rapids, MI) |
Family
ID: |
22393199 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/120,904 |
Filed: |
September 14, 1993 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/3B; 36/141;
36/3R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B
1/0045 (20130101); A43B 7/081 (20130101); A43B
7/146 (20130101); A43B 7/082 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A43B
7/08 (20060101); A43B 7/00 (20060101); A43B
007/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;36/3R,3B,29,35B,141,147,43,44 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1432811 |
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Feb 1966 |
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FR |
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2226216 |
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Dec 1973 |
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DE |
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3330060A |
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Feb 1985 |
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DE |
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3432-629A |
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Mar 1986 |
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DE |
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16143 |
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1894 |
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GB |
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2165439 |
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Apr 1986 |
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GB |
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2193426 |
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Feb 1988 |
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GB |
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WO81/02828 |
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Oct 1981 |
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WO |
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8603951 |
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Jul 1986 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Meyers; Steven N.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Waters & Morse
Claims
I claim:
1. A sole for an article of footwear having a top surface, a bottom
surface, a side connecting the top surface and the bottom surface
and an air tunnel disposed between the top surface and the bottom
surface exiting to a source of ambient air through the side, the
sole comprising:
an insole having a bottom surface and a top surface, a plurality of
bulbous protrusions being formed on the top surface of the insole,
the bulbous protrusions extending upwardly from the top of the
insole and form a plurality of canals between adjacent bulbous
protrusions; and
an outsole having a top surface configured to form a continuous
relation with the bottom surface of the insole and having a bottom
surface for contracting a walking surface, the outsole comprising
an outer shell having an interior cavity and an insert so
configured and arranged to snugly fit within the outer shell
cavity, the air tunnel being formed between the outer shell and the
insert by means of canals formed in the mating surfaces of the
outer shell and insert, the outer shell cavity forming a lower side
of the air tunnel and said insert forming-an upper side of the air
tunnel;
the sole having a plurality of upwardly extending air outlet
passageways through the insert and insole connecting the air tunnel
to the top surface of the sole.
2. The sole for an article of footwear according to claim 1,
wherein each of said bulbous protrusions has at least one side in
nearly parallel relation with the side of another bulbous
protrusion.
3. The sole for an article of footwear according to claim 1,
wherein a toe area of the sole includes a plurality of cavities
each corresponding to a toe of the foot.
4. The sole for an article of footwear according to claim 3 wherein
the toe cavities do not contain any bulbous protrusions.
5. A sole for an article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein
said upwardly extending passageways are positioned so as to have
outlets in the canals between the bulbous protrusions, the canals
providing a means to channel air over the upper surface of the
sole.
6. The sole of an article of footwear according to claim 5 further
comprising:
an air tunnel rear inlet opening in a rear side of the sole, the
rear inlet opening providing communication between ambient air
surrounding the rear side of the sole and ambient air surrounding
the top surface of the sole.
7. A sole for an article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein
the air tunnel comprises a front inlet for fresh air at a front
side of the sole, the air tunnel conveying fresh air through the
front air inlet and directing the fresh air to the top surface of
the insole through the upwardly extending passageways.
8. The sole of an article of footwear according to claim 7, and
further comprising:
an air bellows of greater diameter than the diameter of the air
tunnel and positioned along said air tunnel at junctions between
the air tunnel and the upwardly extending passageways, the bellows
being sequentially inflated and collapsed when the sole is walked
on so as to pump fresh air surrounding the front side of the sole
through the sole and out through the top surface of the insole.
9. The sole of an article of footwear according to claim 7 further
comprising:
means insertable in the front inlet of the air tunnel for allowing
communication of air through the front inlet and into the air
tunnel but restricting communication of liquid into the air tunnel
through the front inlet.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to soles for use with articles of
footwear. More particularly, the present invention relates to soles
having a plurality of bulbous protrusions and providing pneumatic
ventilation to the foot.
Since man has begun wearing shoes to protect his feet, he has
continually strived for increased comfort. Not surprisingly, his
efforts have been continually directed toward improvements in the
sole of the shoe. Efforts to improve the sole of the shoe have
included softer materials, anatomical shapes, and means for
aerating the feet. However for the most part, these efforts have
remained isolated from one another.
Various patents have sought to aerate the feet through a plurality
of channels interspersed within the shoe sole. A representative
example is Batra, U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,745 in which air channels
provide a flow of air to the foot through a multiplicity of holes.
While an air inlet is provided at the instep of the sole, no means
other than the placement of the air inlet is provided for resisting
contamination from water or dirt. The French patent to Pradet,
French Patent No. 1,432,811 incorporates a different canal design
while encountering similar problems.
Various patents have also attempted to provide sufficient
flexibility and resiliency in a shoe sole through the incorporation
of air chambers. Vermeulen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,455 discloses a
plurality of air chambers having a generally round configuration.
Parker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,304 discloses a cushioning sole
structure including a sealed inner member inflated with a gaseous
medium. These types of air chambers generally provide support to
the foot but fail to provide a means for aerating the foot.
Additionally, these types of air chambers are quite complicated and
difficult to manufacture.
Some patents have attempted to massage the foot or provide
increased health through the strategic placement of undulating
tabs. Turucz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,647 discloses a plurality of
convex tabs to massage the soles of the feet during walking. These
tabs correspond to the acupressure zones of the foot. The German
patent to Ellrich, DE 33,30,060,A1 discloses a plurality of sole
inserts consisting of two different metals. Under contact with
perspiration, the two metals provide therapeutic properties due to
galvanic action. Patents such as these fail to provide adequate
aeration of the feet and also fail to take advantage of the latest
materials.
A few patents have attempted to combine a means for aeration along
with massaging support columns. Biasi, U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,068
discloses a plurality of compressible support columns to stimulate
the lower portions of the wearer's foot. A pair of collapsible
valves allow air to be forced through the spaced columns and then
through a perforated anatomical sock. Biasi, however, fails to
provide a means for preventing liquid from entering the pair of
collapsible valves.
Goller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,882 discloses an aerating and massaging
insole which combines a plurality of ribs with a perforated base.
While contact of the foot with the ribs seeks to massage the foot,
air may penetrate the perforated base. Goller does not provide a
means for fresh air to enter the shoe cavity. Although Goller and
Biasi seek to provide a massaging action to the foot, the
effectiveness of this action is compromised by the insertion of a
perforated layer above the massaging means.
Pon-Tzu, U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,651 discloses a shoe pad having an air
blowing compression chamber which connects to the external air by a
modified permanent shoe horn. Convex grains having a circular shape
are disposed on the top of the shoe pad to massage the foot and
separate the wearer's foot from the shoe pad. However, this shoe
pad is designed to retrofit an existing shoe structure and does not
appear to communicate air from the shoe sole directly to an ambient
air source.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to overcome the disadvantages of the
prior art through a sole for an article of footwear having a
plurality of bulbous protrusions. The sole includes a heel area, an
arch area, and a ball area, each defined on the top surface and
corresponding to the respective areas of the foot. Each of the
areas has a plurality of bulbous protrusions extending upward to
contact the foot. The bulbous protrusions are generally wide and
dome shaped to provide a gentle massaging action to the bottom of
the foot. A toe area is also defined on the top surface of the sole
for providing support to the toes of the foot. The toe area
includes a plurality of cavities designed in anatomical relation to
the toes of the foot.
The present invention also overcomes the disadvantages of the prior
art for aerating the feet. The sole has an air passage disposed
between the top surface of the sole and the bottom surface of the
sole. The air passage has a front section extending forwardly to
contact the front side and a rear section extending rearwardly to
contact the rear side. A plurality of upwardly extending sections
connect the air passage to the top surface. The upwardly extending
sections are disposed about the top of the sole between the bulbous
protrusions. The air passage communicates ambient air surrounding
the front side of the sole with ambient air above the top surface
of the sole through repeated compression and expansion of the air
passage during walking. The bulbous protrusions assist in this
communication by preventing the blockage of the upwardly extending
sections by the foot. A means is also insertable within the front
and rear sections of the air tunnel for prohibiting contamination
of the air tunnel by dirt or liquid.
Various advantages and features of novelty which characterized the
invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed
hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better
understanding of the invention, its advantages, and objects
obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which
form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive
matter, in which there is illustrated and described preferred
embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a footwear sole showing the outline
of a shoe upper.
FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view of the outsole, insert, liquid
barrier and insole.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the longitudinal axis with
outsole, insert, barrier and insole shown together.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the insole showing a plurality of bulbous
protrusions interspersed with a plurality of air holes.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the insert.
FIG. 6 is a top view of the outsole.
FIG. 7 is a top view of the outsole an insert showing the air
passages.
FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the outsole.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the front portion of the
footwear sole.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view of the rear portion of the
footwear sole.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the footwear sole along the
longitudinal axis without air passages in the insole.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, and, more particularly to FIG. 1, a
perspective view of a footwear sole 20 in accordance with the
present invention is shown. While footwear sole 20 may be used for
a variety of applications including boots, sandals and athletic
shoes, the inventive concepts of the present invention are
preferably embodied in a casual walking shoe. In this regard, a
shoe upper 22 is shown in phantom to indicate relative placement
with respect to footwear sole 20.
Footwear sole 20 is shown with a plurality of bulbous protrusions
24 disposed upon the top surface thereof. A plurality of air ducts
26 are connected to a plurality of air tunnels which are formed
within the footwear sole. These air tunnels communicate with the
outside of footwear sole 20 through a pair of front exit openings
28 and rear exit openings 40. Through a walking action of the
wearer upon footwear sole 20, the air tunnels are sequentially
contracted and expanded to draw air in through front exit openings
28 then into shoe upper 22 via air ducts 26. Through this action,
it is contemplated that the feet will remain relatively dry and
that moisture will be removed from the foot.
In reference to FIG. 2, an exploded sectional view of footwear sole
20 is shown. Footwear sole 20 includes insole 30 which contacts
outsole 32 to enclose insert 34 therein. As shown in FIG. 2, front
liquid barrier 36 and rear liquid barrier 38 are disposed between
insert 34 and outsole 32. Front liquid barrier 36 prevents liquid
from entering the interior of footwear sole 20 via front exit
opening 28 and rear liquid barrier 38 prevents liquid from entering
the interior of footwear sole 20 via rear exit opening 40. Both
liquid barriers 36 and 38 allow the penetration of air but resist
the penetration of liquid and other debris.
FIG. 3 shows insole 30, outsole 32 and insert 34 disposed in an
assembled compressed relation. As shown by FIG. 3, air tunnel 42
connects front exit opening 28 and rear exit opening 40 to the air
ducts 26. Air ducts 26 are shown passing through insole 30 and
insert 32 to connect to air tunnel 42. Interspersed along the
length of air tunnel 42 at the ends of ducts 26 are a plurality of
air bellows 44. Air bellows 44 compress and expand to draw air from
front exit openings 28 and rear exit openings 40 and to expel air
out through air ducts 26.
The underside of outsole 32 is configured so that a plurality of
exterior nubs 46 generally coincide with the air bellows 44. This
configuration of exterior nubs 46 accentuates the compression and
expansion of air bellows 44 to direct air through air ducts 26. In
practice, however, it is contemplated that insert 34 is made from a
softer material than outsole 32. This allows outsole 32 to be made
from a material which is sufficient in hardness to resist wear
through walking. Insert 34 is then allowed to be made of a soft
material which may readily deform to compress bellows 44. This will
assist in the direction of air through air ducts 26. The output of
air 48 is representatively shown above air ducts 26 for aerating
the feet.
FIG. 4 shows the top side of footwear sole 20 or, more
particularly, the top side of insole 30. From FIG. 4, a preferred
embodiment for the layout of bulbous protrusions 24 is shown.
Additionally, air ducts 26 are shown interspersed between bulbous
protrusions 24 for effectuating the dispersement of air. Bulbous
protrusions 24 allow air from air ducts 26 to circulate underneath
the foot by preventing full contact of the foot with the upper
surface of insole 30.
Bulbous protrusions 24 are arranged in generally three sections,
namely: heel section 50, arch section 52 and ball section 54. Each
of the sections respectively correspond to the heel area, arch
area, and ball area of the foot. Heel section 50 of the bulbous
protrusions 24 is generally elliptical in nature with each of the
protrusions arranged in a generally grid-like fashion. The
grid-like arrangement of heel section 50 forms a plurality of
canals 56 for the transportation of air. Each of the bulbous
protrusions 24 has at least one coacting side 55 for coacting with
another bulbous protrusion 2.4 to form said canals. It is apparent
from reference to FIG. 4 that in the preferred embodiment, heel
section 50 has bulbous protrusions with two to four coacting sides
55.
Arch section 52 also provides a plurality of bulbous protrusions 24
which are formed in orthopedic relation to the arch of a human
foot. As shown from FIG. 4 in combination with insole 30 of FIG. 2,
bulbous protrusions 24 of arch section 52 are generally raised to
conform to the arch of the human foot. These protrusions 24 form a
plurality of canals 56 to assist in the transportation of air
therein. With specific reference to curved protrusion 58, it is
shown that a protrusion may have a single linear side coacting with
other protrusions to form a canal. Protrusions 57, 59 and 61
respectively show that the bulbous protrusions 24 may have two,
three or four coacting sides 55. Arch section 52 is generally
triangular in shape with curved vertices; however, it may be
arrowhead shaped or formed in any other orthopedic relation to the
arch of the foot.
Ball section 54 of insole 30 likewise discloses a plurality of
bulbous protrusions in near grid-like relation. Canals 56 are
formed between protrusions 24 for assisting in the circulation of
air. Rows of bulbous protrusions in ball section 54 are generally
rectangular nearer the toe section of the insole 30 but converge
slightly as progression is made towards the arch section 52 of the
insole. This better conforms to the orthopedic relation of the
foot.
Sectional valleys 60 are disposed between ball section 54 and arch
section 52 and also between arch section 52 and heel section 50.
Section valleys 60 function in the same manner as canals 56 but on
a much larger scale to assist in the communication of air about the
bottom of the foot. Sectional valleys 60 may be of different depth
than canals 56 but are preferably of the same depth.
Insole 30 does not provide bulbous protrusions about the toe area
of the foot. Instead, insole 30 provides a plurality of toe
cavities 62 each corresponding in anatomical relation to the toes
of the foot. Toe cavities 62 also include a plurality of air ducts
26 for assisting in the aeration of the toes. While it is
contemplated by the present invention that bulbous protrusions may
extend into the toe area of the foot, it is found that toe cavities
62 provide greater comfort to the wearer during walking.
Additionally, since little weight is placed upon the toe areas of
the foot in relation to the other areas, such as the ball area and
the heel area, the provision of canals 56 to assist in circulation
of air is not as needed.
FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 respectively disclose the insert 34, outsole 32
and a combination thereof. In FIG. 5, insert 34 shows the layout of
the plurality of air ducts 26. Air tunnel 42 is shown comprised of
longitudinal air tunnels 64 and lateral air tunnels 66. Each of
these air tunnels 64 and 66 seeks to communicate air between exit
openings 28 and 40 and air ducts 26.
As shown in FIG. 5, each of the air tunnels 64 and 66 has inverted
troughs 65 and 67 respectively disposed along the bottom side of
insert 34. Longitudinal air tunnels 64 and lateral air tunnels 66
connect to communicate the passage of air there between.
Longitudinal air tunnels 64 actually surround the periphery of
insert 34, connecting at the front toe area and the rear heel area.
Sealing rim 68 surrounds the periphery of longitudinal air tunnel
64 and provides a means for sealing insert 34 with respect to
outsole 32.
FIG. 6 shows outsole 32 having outsole rim 70 disposed about the
periphery thereof. Outsole cavity 72 is defined within the outsole
rim 70. A plurality of complements 74 appear as noninverted troughs
to form the lower portion lateral air tunnels 64. Complements 74
are configured to coincide with inverted troughs 67 of insert 34.
Inverted troughs 67 and lateral air trough complements 74 coact to
define lateral air tunnels 66, which provides a passageway to
communicate air between air ducts 26 and longitudinal air tunnels
64. A pair of front exit openings 28 pass through outsole rim 70 to
outsole cavity 72. Likewise, rear exit openings 40 pass through
outsole rim 70 into the interior of outsole cavity 72. While
lateral air troughs 67 and lateral air trough complements 74 coact
to define lateral air tunnels 66, the front exit openings 28 and
rear exit openings 40 are formed entirely within outsole rim 70. In
further reference to FIG. 6, front liquid barrier 36 and rear
liquid barrier 38 are shown in respective relation to front exit
openings 28 and rear exit openings 40 to allow the passage of air
therethrough but impede the passage of liquid.
FIG. 7 shows insert 34 and outsole 32 together as a single unit.
This more clearly shows the plurality of air tunnels 42 along with
the plurality of air ducts 26.
FIG. 8 shows the bottom side of outsole 32, with the plurality of
exterior nubs 46. Pattern 76 formed in the outsole generally
conforms to the interior layout of longitudinal air tunnels 64.
FIG. 9 and 10 each respectively show an enlarged sectional view of
the front and rear portion of footwear sole 20. Front liquid
barrier 36 and rear liquid barrier 38 respectively cover front exit
openings 28 and rear exit openings 40 to prevent the entrance of
liquid therein.
While insole 30 may be made from a variety of materials to
accomplish the objectives of the present invention, the preferred
embodiment incorporates a light weight, polyurethane foam having an
open cell construction. In an open cell construction, millions of
minute pores or air bubbles are formed in light weight
polyurethane. This allows air to circulate freely through the
insole. The open cell construction is formed by adding chemical
agents to the polyurethane base materials which results in
ionization. These pores are generally invisible to the naked eye
but are readily apparent with the aid of a microscope. The open
cell construction assists the ready evaporation of moisture from
the foot. To allow this evaporation, insole 30 should have a water
absorption rate of 8 to 12 mg/cm.sup.2 /hr. This is considerable
when compared with other materials such as EVA 15 mg/cm.sup.2 /hr.;
latex 0.9 mg/cm.sup.2 /hr.; and foam rubber 0.1 mg/cm.sup.2 /hr. It
is also contemplated that certain biocides and activated carbon may
be mixed into the light weight polyurethane foam to help diminish
the environment in which bacteria and fungus may grow. This would
have the added benefit of reducing odor and resisting athletes foot
and other afflictions. It is contemplated that a light weight
polyurethane foam having an open cell construction for use with the
present invention may be made according to the method disclosed in
Chang in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,646.
In an alternative embodiment, insole 30 does not contain a
plurality of air ducts 26 but simply relies upon the open cell
structure in combination with the plurality of air tunnels 42. This
is shown in FIG. 11 which is a sectional view taken along the
longitudinal axis of the shoe. It is contemplated that air 48 will
penetrate insole 30 more slowly but have a more even dispersement
of air throughout.
Outsole 32 is preferably made from a thermoplastic rubber or TPR.
TPR is formed by heating the substance past its melting point and
then injecting it into a mold. As the substance cools, it hardens
into the shape of the mold. TPR has very little air intermixed with
the substance. The density of the material is on the order of 85%
to 90%. Outsole 32 could be made from a variety of materials
including polyvinylchloride. However, it is preferably made from
TPR having a durometer hardness of 60-64 on the Shore type A scale.
The Shore type A scale varies from 0-100 with 0 representing no
hardness and 100 representing the hardness of steel. TPR with a
60-64 durometer hardness has the preferred resiliency and abrasion
resistance.
Insert 34 may also be made from a variety of materials including
TPR but is preferably made from closed cell polyurethane.
Polyurethane is made from a combination of separate liquids which
react to form a polyurethane foam. Polyurethane resembles bread in
that a foam interior is surrounded at the periphery by a
polyurethane "crust" or "skin". This skin is substantially harder
than the interior foam which makes testing via a durometer
impractical.
Polyurethane generally has a closed cell configuration and is
usually measured as a percentage of weight to volume or density.
The closed cell configuration indicates that the foam includes a
plurality of encapsulated air pockets which do not communicate air
with other air pockets. For insert 34, the preferred density of
closed cell polyurethane is on the order of 53-57%.
Front liquid barrier 36 and rear liquid barrier 38 are preferably
made from a polypropylene fabric which has been treated with a
flurochemical spray. A number of flurochemical sprays will work
with the present invention. A representative example is sold under
the trademark SCOTCHGUARD by The 3M Company. This fabric and spray
combination has the characteristic of vapor permeability with
considerable water-resistant properties. Such material will also
prevent solid objects, such as dirt and small pebbles, from
entering air tunnels 42.
Numerous characteristics, advantages and embodiments of the
invention have been described in detail in the foregoing
description with reference to the accompanying drawings. However,
the disclosure is illustrative only, and the invention is not
limited to the precise illustrated embodiments. Various changes and
modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art
without departing form the scope or spirit of the invention, which
is defined in the following claims.
* * * * *